Smart Thermostat Guide

Smart thermostats have grown extremely popular in the last decade. A smart thermostat is your best bet if you want to control your gas and electricity bills. Ask energy suppliers, and you are bound to receive the same answer for your smart home.

They are truly an energy-efficient way of living! While the concept of a smart thermostat is gaining recognition, some people are still unaware of what it entails.

Through this article, we shall go deep into all about smart thermostats, how smart thermostats work, and smart thermostat features that you should know. Let’s move on, shall we?

Key Takeaways

• Smart thermostats are an energy-efficient way to control heating and cooling in your home, offering remote control and real-time energy consumption monitoring.
• Unlike traditional thermostats, smart thermostats provide advanced features such as adjusting the temperature based on weather, time of day, and occupancy.
• Smart thermostats can continue to operate on a schedule even if your internet connection is down, and their cost varies based on model and installation options.

What Are Smart Thermostats?

If you are interested in a heating system in your home, a smart thermostat is a new trend in the market to save money while achieving your purpose. Smart thermostats can switch the heating off or remotely through a proper internet connection. You can even use a tablet or a smartphone to switch the heating on once you are close to your place.

You cannot just set up the heating remotely, but also observe the heat being used through these digital heating systems. They will monitor the daily usage and understand the routine.

Additionally, remember that these smart thermostats are not smart meters. Most energy firms install these smart meters for free. On the other hand, unlike smart meters, you can arrange installation or install smart thermostats on your own.

What does this mean? This signifies that you should not worry about who the energy providers are. Moreover, a smart thermostat is not affected due to any supplier switches.

How Are Smart Thermostats Different?

Traditional thermostats will enable users to alter the warmth of their homes. You can do this through a control pad or a dial of some sort. On the contrary, a smart thermostat allows you to have full command of the house’s central heating.

Thus, you are capable of changing the heating based on various factors. Smart thermostats enable you to change the temperature according to the outside weather, time of the day, and the people inside your home. You can even control the central heating remotely as stated previously.

Another smart feature of a smart thermostat such as Nest thermostat for google home is that they showcase the energy consumption of your house in real-time. Once you get this information, you can classify the energy that is being used by you and even understand if it is necessary for your daily needs.

How Do Smart Thermostats Work?

You can use wi-fi to connect with the smart thermostats apps on your smartphone in your smart home. Most smart thermostats work in this manner. With this app, you are free to schedule the time for the heating or cooling to turn on, detect open windows, change the temperature of the home even when you are not inside.

Furthermore, you can set automation of the smart thermostats with various smart devices. You will also find some programmable smart thermostats, which cannot connect through an app. With these, you can still schedule the cooling and heating routines via a touchscreen display.

Does a Smart Thermostat Work if My Internet Goes Down?

If you face an internet issue or the internet drops at your place, you do not need to stress. The heating in your home will stay on and the smart thermostat system will continue to operate according to the schedule that you have logged into previously.

While you would not be able to work the thermostat and control it online through the app, you are still allowed to utilize the manual controls on the smart thermostats themselves if the need arises.

How Much Do Smart Thermostats Cost?

Many smart thermostats will cost between a range of £150 and £280, according to the model and the making of the product. For instance, the Honeywell Home Lyric T6 smart thermostat will cost about £130. Many manufacturers offer professional installation, which will increase the cost by £50 – £100.

The overall cost will depend on your ease with the installation instructions and wi-fi charges. You will be able to handle most smart thermostats and receive heating if you are well acquainted with the instructions.

How to Install a Smart Thermostat?

The smart thermostat will come with some basic instructions and a guide for your smart home. Following the instructions given by a manufacturer is the best way to have your smart thermostats properly functioning. We have listed the main steps below for your convenience.

• Before starting any DIY job, we strongly recommend always turning the electric power off. More so, if the job is based on electricity usage;
• You should open the old thermostat, and then remove the front face of the current unit. You may need some unscrewing for this step;
• Next up, you must label the wires in the standard thermostat design. The labeling should typically involve letters;
• Now, you should move right next to terminals where those wires are set up. You can use whatever you like to label the wires. Most thermostats will usually have only four wires but it will depend on the individual thermostat. If you have many wires, you should label all of them. You could also take a photo on the other side;
• Finally, take the old thermostat off. You should unscrew the older thermostat and then take it completely off the wall with care. With a screwdriver, this will come off very easily. You should ensure to not take the wires completely with you;
• You are now to hang the new thermostat work. With a level, you can make sure that you are screwing the thermostat in the best manner on the wall. Once the wall has been marked, you should add the plastic encasing going with the smart thermostat and hang it through the markings made by you;
• Now, we are towards the end of the installation process. You should match every wire to the terminal and finally connect all of them. Pulling every wire to ensure that they are secure is the best way to go about it;
• Last by not least, you should turn the electrical power back on and check in case of a start-up screen on the new thermostat that you just installed. If you do not find one, you can turn the power off and then recheck the wiring of the heating system to ensure whether or not they are set in the right spots securely.

Features You Must Keep an Eye on while Purchasing a Smart Thermostat

If you are still reading this article, we are sure you are looking at investing in a great smart thermostat to save money. Well, while you will find many smart thermostats available in the market, some features can make the product an even better buy.

Listed below are some of the features that we strongly recommend you keep an eye on while buying smarter versions of thermostats.

Hot Water Control

You will find many smart thermostats that can control the hot water in the house clubbed with the central heating system. In case you have a combination boiler that gives you hot water instantly, then you would not require a smart thermostat with this feature.

Additionally, every smart thermostatic radiator with hot water controls will not include it as a standard.

Since you can use an application, the process of home heats becomes convenient and you have greater control. Even if you have not been at home for some days, the application will turn the hot water on for you whenever you arrive.

Just like a traditional thermostat, you can set a heating schedule. With this feature, you will not have to use the cold water from the water tanks. Instead, you can use your tablet, phone, or computer to set the heating via remote control.

Multi-Room Control or Zonal Heating

Some of the smart thermostats will allow users in setting certain temperatures for different rooms in the home. This is a huge advantage if you live in a pretty big house and some of the rooms are not being used a lot.

In your living room, you can keep the preferred temperature as nice and cozy. Plus, you can keep a lower desired temperature for another room. If you want to do so, you can either buy extra thermostats or another device for heating every room where the temperature inside will be different. These purchases will not be cheap and they can cost as much as the previous thermostat.

For these features, you would need a multi-zone control heating system. You can also look for smart thermostatic radiator valves.

Weather-Responsive

You can find smart thermostats that can adjust the temperature based on the weather forecasts and temperature notifications outside. In case a cold snap is coming to you, the smart thermostat will adjust the temperature settings according to the change in the weather forecast.

Motion Sensors & GPS Tracking

Motion Sensors detect when you enter and exit the home and then adjust the heat settings based on the same. It is a section in the smart thermostat’s learning feature. These smart thermostats work accordingly and will reduce the heating once you are outside. You can pre-heat the home when you are coming back home.

GPS and motion sensors are pretty useful if you have a habit of frequently leaving and entering the house. that too, at irregular times. You can also trust the scheduled temperature settings to turn the heating off once you leave and on as you enter back in.

App and PC functionality

Most of the smart thermostats can be controlled using an app and could also not have a standard website that you can use from a computer. If in case, you do not have a smartphone, you will have to find a smart thermostat that has website controls.

Should I Check the Smart Thermostat Operating System?

Yes, it is a great habit to check the operating system of your smart thermostat. On a general note, smart thermostats work well with android and apple operating systems. If you have a completely different phone type, you can get in touch with the smart thermostat manufacturer to check if the phone would work with the application or not.

Heat Pump Source: Reliable Heating and Cooling Solutions

At Heat Pump Source, we take pride in our unwavering commitment to serving the UK with top-tier HVAC solutions. From the efficiency of heat pumps and the cool relief of air conditioning to the warmth of boilers, radiators, and underfloor heating, our dedicated team is always at the forefront of innovation. We understand the unique needs of every household and business, and we strive to provide dependable health and cooling products and services that are tailored just for you. Ensuring your comfort and satisfaction is our utmost priority. Whether you have questions, need guidance, or require support, we’re always here to assist. Please don’t hesitate to contact us; we’re eager to be of service.

Wrapping Up

Well, that’s it from our side on the wonder that is smart thermostats. With greater energy use, low wasted energy, and attaining an energy-efficient temperature, a smart thermostat is your best friend.

You can also look for specific features in the smart thermostat such as motion sensors, heat controls, GPS, App-pc functionality, and many more. We suggest you have thorough research and due diligence before locking down on the final smart thermostat of your choice.